Info and tips for first timer?

[berns_97]

Hey i know its a long way ahead but the team i am going with os reimbursing me for my flight the only problem is that i have no idea for what day to get my plane ticket for. I am going week 7 Jul 18th. Should i get the flight for the 17th or 18th? Also anyone wanna share some tips for a young umpire? Thanks

[krwill96]

I've never flown in but the closest airport is about an hour and a half. You need to be there by I think noon on Saturday. This most likely means you'd be better off coming in on the Friday. If it works with your travel time you can also get there on Saturday morning.

There's a ton of topics on here for tips for CDP. If you do a quick search you'll find some do's and don'ts of the park and what to bring and whatnot. I've been six times and always had a good time. There's people on here that say they'll never go back. I've never had a bad experience but it's not for everyone. My biggest suggestion is go there have fun umpiring and meeting people. Try not to get too worked up and involved in the politics of some of the umpires there.

[ZebraStripes]

I haven't flown in but I know there are others here that have that could better answer that.  Albany's airport is an hour away I believe.  Early check in is Friday evening/night.  Better selection of bunks at that point or first thing on Saturday morning.  

 

Tips:

 

*Bring your equipment.  CP, Shins, Mask, plate shoes, base shoes, indicator, ball bag (the CDP ball bags are tight fits)

*Bring all of your uniforms.

*Bring some bedding or a sleeping bag.  

*Bring some flip flops or something to wear in the shower.

*See if you can fit a fan in your luggage.

*A chair (may not be feasible when flying"

*Bring a floor mat.

*Extra sheet or 3 for some "privacy"

*Phone charger

*Extension cord and power strip.  (My bunk had a power outlet behind it so I was ok,  But Chuck and I had our phone chargers plugged in there the entire time.

*Ear plugs if you can't sleep with someone snoring.  

*Have fun.  Try to learn about 3, 4 and 6 man if you don't already know it.

 

*Check the weekly weather report on Saturday before going to orientation.  You may learn that a high chance of rain is on a day or two and you might...might want to try to have earlier games that day.  The latest a game has started is 3:36 AM.  But you are young and may be able to do that a little easier if need be.  

 

* The food is decent, not great, but there was one dish that they made that no one seemed to like.  Can't recall what it was, but that was the only thing that reappeared the next day with lunch.  Tuesday or Wednesday I think it was.

*If you order a special trading pin, the boys will be on you like crazy when they figure out who you are.  

I've never flown in but the closest airport is about an hour and a half. You need to be there by I think noon on Saturday. This most likely means you'd be better off coming in on the Friday. If it works with your travel time you can also get there on Saturday morning.

There's a ton of topics on here for tips for CDP. If you do a quick search you'll find some do's and don'ts of the park and what to bring and whatnot. I've been six times and always had a good time. There's people on here that say they'll never go back. I've never had a bad experience but it's not for everyone. My biggest suggestion is go there have fun umpiring and meeting people. Try not to get too worked up and involved in the politics of some of the umpires there.

I think it is 11 AM, but I don't have my packet here.

[ZebraStripes]

Politics does rear it's ugly head.  Keep your nose clean from all of that.  Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.  I think we were always ready to go at the barracks a half hour before game time.  Sometimes we walked, sometimes we rode a golf cart with Baseball Operations.  Your choice on that.  Have fun.  I was 36 and still like a kid in a candy store last year.  Baseball 24/7 for a week.  

 

 

I still need to check into getting a CDP hat embroidered, those that they give you are not very good.

[berns_97]

I haven't flown in but I know there are others here that have that could better answer that. Albany's airport is an hour away I believe. Early check in is Friday evening/night. Better selection of bunks at that point or first thing on Saturday morning.

Tips:

*Bring your equipment. CP, Shins, Mask, plate shoes, base shoes, indicator, ball bag (the CDP ball bags are tight fits)

*Bring all of your uniforms.

*Bring some bedding or a sleeping bag.

*Bring some flip flops or something to wear in the shower.

*See if you can fit a fan in your luggage.

*A chair (may not be feasible when flying"

*Bring a floor mat.

*Extra sheet or 3 for some "privacy"

*Phone charger

*Extension cord and power strip. (My bunk had a power outlet behind it so I was ok, But Chuck and I had our phone chargers plugged in there the entire time.

*Ear plugs if you can't sleep with someone snoring.

*Have fun. Try to learn about 3, 4 and 6 man if you don't already know it.

*Check the weekly weather report on Saturday before going to orientation. You may learn that a high chance of rain is on a day or two and you might...might want to try to have earlier games that day. The latest a game has started is 3:36 AM. But you are young and may be able to do that a little easier if need be.

* The food is decent, not great, but there was one dish that they made that no one seemed to like. Can't recall what it was, but that was the only thing that reappeared the next day with lunch. Tuesday or Wednesday I think it was.

*If you order a special trading pin, the boys will be on you like crazy when they figure out who you are.

I've never flown in but the closest airport is about an hour and a half. You need to be there by I think noon on Saturday. This most likely means you'd be better off coming in on the Friday. If it works with your travel time you can also get there on Saturday morning.

There's a ton of topics on here for tips for CDP. If you do a quick search you'll find some do's and don'ts of the park and what to bring and whatnot. I've been six times and always had a good time. There's people on here that say they'll never go back. I've never had a bad experience but it's not for everyone. My biggest suggestion is go there have fun umpiring and meeting people. Try not to get too worked up and involved in the politics of some of the umpires there.

I think it is 11 AM, but I don't have my packet here.

Thanks so much this is really going to help

[Umpirechick1]

If you can, fly in on Friday. I fly into Albany. It's a relatively small airport, easy to navigate and the drive from there to CDP is an easy one.

[berns_97]

Politics does rear it's ugly head. Keep your nose clean from all of that. Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. I think we were always ready to go at the barracks a half hour before game time. Sometimes we walked, sometimes we rode a golf cart with Baseball Operations. Your choice on that. Have fun. I was 36 and still like a kid in a candy store last year. Baseball 24/7 for a week.

I still need to check into getting a CDP hat embroidered, those that they give you are not very good.

Thanks for the heads up

[berns_97]

If you can, fly in on Friday. I fly into Albany. It's a relatively small airport, easy to navigate and the drive from there to CDP is an easy one.

Will do thanks

[shannonrcc]

YOU ONLY WEAR THE CDP HAT 2 TIMES ON SAT. AND THUR. BRING YOUR BLACK AND BLUE ONES. BE SURE TO BRING OTHER COLOR SHIRTS RED,POWER,CREAM,BLACK,BEIGE,WHITE, THEN YOU WILL BE SURE TO BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PARTNER. BORROWING A SH*#RT FROM SOMEONE SHOULD NOT BE HARD TO DO.

[shannonrcc]

SORRY HIT WRONG KEYS ON SHIRT !!!!!!!

[ZebraStripes]

YOU ONLY WEAR THE CDP HAT 2 TIMES ON SAT. AND THUR. BRING YOUR BLACK AND BLUE ONES. BE SURE TO BRING OTHER COLOR SHIRTS RED,POWER,CREAM,BLACK,BEIGE,WHITE, THEN YOU WILL BE SURE TO BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PARTNER. BORROWING A SH*#RT FROM SOMEONE SHOULD NOT BE HARD TO DO.

as Shannon is saying, you don't want to be "that guy" that only wears Navy the entire time.

[dzperson]

Greetings !!

 

If 2015 is the same as last year, leave pink and "camo" and US flag jersey's home, because Lou will not let you wear those anyway !!!

 

I would be SURE to pack black t-shirts and grey SHORTS ( in case your pants rip ), in fact, I always bring 2 pairs of plate and 2 pair of base pants...

 

And, a black hat !!!

 

Last year, a NUMBER of umps walked out with wearing a black jersey, but, a ( dark !! ) navy blue hat and Lou went balistic !!!!!!   

 

Don't forget extra shoe-laces...  Remember, you are no longer "home" !!!   BUT, you shall find that the vast majority of your fellow umpires are MORE than glad to share what we are able !!!

 

When you arrive, and Friday afternoon / EARLY evening ( like 5-6 p.m. ) IS the best !!!!!!! , you shall meet fellow umpires from around the country and just listen to the "vets" ( to a degree, yes, stay away from the "politics".... ) and they can tell you what to do, where to go, etc.    FOR example, many of us head to a local dollar store for shaving cream, tooth-paste and other assundries that may have been either forgotten or just left behind...

 

THAT said, be sure to bring a few bucks - duhhhhh - not only for the above, but, many of us DO go out on Saturday morning for breakfast ( CDP does not provide breakfast or lunch on Saturday !!! )

[ZebraStripes]

Camo and American Flag shirts were outlawed in week 1, but we had pink uniforms in use.  A 4 man crew even on Sunday or Monday I believe it was.

[shannonrcc]

I will be there week 1. I drive so I will have my car. Always go to town and take people with me. Make one trip to SALS for pizza and a cold one. I bring a lot of stuff with me. So if anyone need to go to the store I will help. I stay in 51-A. Also go to breakfast on Sat. morning. See all of you there.     ( 1st bunk on right I get there early on Fri. so I can get in 51-A ) SHANNON

[berns_97]

I will be there week 1. I drive so I will have my car. Always go to town and take people with me. <strong>Make one trip to SALS for pizza and a cold one.</strong> I bring a lot of stuff with me. So if anyone need to go to the store I will help. I stay in 51-A. Also go to breakfast on Sat. morning. See all of you there. ( 1st bunk on right I get there early on Fri. so I can get in 51-A ) SHANNON

I wish i can get a cold one but im only 17.... Actually ill be 18 by the time week 7 comes around 😄😄

[shannonrcc]

FOR 1st time ump. if you need to talk about CDP call me at 865-617-1300 before 11:00 PM EST. Will be more than happy to help you with any question you might have. SHANNON!

[shannonrcc]

For those of you who are flying to CDP and can't pack snacks or drinks there is a shopping mall near by. Drinks and snacks at CDP are over priced. Buy them and bring they with you. Drinks are $1.50 ( cokes & Gatorade). Also be nice to have a few snacks ( cakes, chips, cookies,candy ). Bring them in when you check in. You will have a foot locker to put your stuff in, bring lock for foot locker. I check this site ever day so if you have any question I will try to post a answer.

[berns_97]

For those of you who are flying to CDP and can't pack snacks or drinks there is a shopping mall near by. Drinks and snacks at CDP are over priced. Buy them and bring they with you. Drinks are $1.50 ( cokes & Gatorade). Also be nice to have a few snacks ( cakes, chips, cookies,candy ). Bring them in when you check in. You will have a foot locker to put your stuff in, bring lock for foot locker. I check this site ever day so if you have any question I will try to post a answer.

good to know. Also what airport is closest to the park?

[MadMax]

Albany and Syracuse are nearly equidistant.

If you're flying in, don't bother with a fan. It's not worth it, and most of the umpire bunkhouses have hoarded fans. If there isn't one to be had, and it's really really needed, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are in Oneonta and have cheap fans for $10-$15 (or less).

Same with a chair. Those two stores and/or Dick's Sporting Goods (again in Oneonta) have chairs on the cheap. You likely won't need one anyway... Most of the veterans you're reading on here about bringing a chair just use them to sit around and tell bullsh!t stories anyway. ACC umpire, as if.

Lastly, cleaning kits / supplies... Again, keep in mind you need to keep your gear clean. It's an imperative. There will be plenty of guys with cleaning supplies; make friends with them.

[berns_97]

Albany and Syracuse are nearly equidistant.

If you're flying in, don't bother with a fan. It's not worth it, and most of the umpire bunkhouses have hoarded fans. If there isn't one to be had, and it's really really needed, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are in Oneonta and have cheap fans for $10-$15 (or less).

Same with a chair. Those two stores and/or Dick's Sporting Goods (again in Oneonta) have chairs on the cheap. You likely won't need one anyway... Most of the veterans you're saying on here about bringing a chair just use them to sit around and tell bullsh!t stories anyway. ACC umpire, as if.

Lastly, cleaning kits / supplies... Again, keep in mind you need to keep your gear clean. It's an imperative. There will be plenty of guys with cleaning supplies; make friends with them.

Ok thanks

[ZebraStripes]

And believe me, that brick dust will be be nasty and you will have to clean that junk off a lot

 

 

 

and as for the lock, the holes in the footlocker are smaller, so keep that in mind with your lock

 

NEVER let a player in an umpire bunk house

[labguy1971]

Heather gray and Charcoal gray pants?  Also, read something about no american flag shirts.  Are you guys talking about the flag patch that is put on sleeve or behind the neck?  So I am guessing just plain shirts (no numbers, flags or assocation logo's)?  Thanks for the help.

[Umpirechick1]

I've seen guys with the flag patch. They're talking about the shirt that looks like the American flag (literally looks like they took a flag and made a shirt out of it).

You'll find umpires wearing both charcoal and Heather gray. In fact, last year there was a guy who had pants that were so faded and light gray they almost looked white (so don't be that guy).

[MadMax]

To echo @Umpirechick1 and add...

• Umpire Shirts: You will be provided 2 CDP-branded navy umpire shirts. Best practice is to get 1 sized for plate, 1 sized for bases. These must be worn on Saturday (Opening Ceremonies and Skills Showcase), Wednesday (Bracket Elimination Day) and Thursday (Finals Day). That leaves Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for us umpires to wear whatever umpire shirts we wish, provided they are professional in appearance and match / complement any partners you have (If one wears a black jacket, and the other wears a Polo-Blue with Black trim, that works). Most guys are pretty accommodating at loaning out a shirt for a game or two. You'll also hear from guys who will immediately don the CDP navy shirts when rain threatens, because, let's face it. If you're going to have your shirts soaked and trashed, may as well be free CDP shirts.

The prohibited umpire shirts are the organic woodland camo (olive green, urban, RWB, etc.) shirts, which just look garish, and the American Flag shirts, which Coach Lou believes is sacrilege. Several other umpires are of the same opinion, but I'm not going to get into that particular discussion. As far as patches (numbers, flags, associations), they're just fine on your own shirts. Every one of my own shirts has a patch on it because it helps dissuade theft of my shirts here in my region, and it helps to remind me when I loan them out at CDP. ("Hey. Nice patch. I have one just like that... oh yeah, that's my shirt I loaned you, isn't it.")

• Umpire Pants: Since some associations still utilize the Heather Grey pants, that shade is still accepted. Most wear Charcoal. There were even guys there wearing Dickies service pants in charcoal grey. While half-hearted in effort, I commend the attempt. No track pants. There is no wearing of gear (in this case, shinguards) outside of the pants, so be sure your pants-you-use-for-plate are sized / cut to fit over your shinguards. 

Please Be Aware: The laundry service, while free and timely, is not perfect. There have been occasions of lost or damaged items, and it's usually pants. And by damage, we mean shrunk (by 1"-2" of inseam) and/or faded (I had Charcoals... Now they're more like Heather Coals). I would not advise investing into top-of-the-line pants and bring them here uninformed. I have since directed the Laundry Service to use "NO HEAT" when drying the pants I leave them with.

• Umpire Hats: You will be issued a CDP-brand umpire hat in navy. It is a one-size-fits-a-few. Several veteran attendees (myself included) have custom-made and facilitated hats with "CDP" on them. This is acceptable. You only need to wear the CDP hat on Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday. You may wear your association hats on the other three days, provided they match (in color) to your trim (navy to navy -trim, black to -black trim). If you have black hat(s), bring 'em. If you don't have any, buy 'em. One of the Senior Crew Chiefs sells them onsite in a pinch as an appreciated service.

• Umpire Ball Bags: You will be issued a CDP-brand ball bag. While it's a nice thought, and a nice keepsake, it is really sized for golf balls. As of 2015, the ball bags are of nicer build quality, materials, and larger volume. It is still advisable, though, to bring your own ball bags; again, black for black trim, navy for navy trim. Here, you can get by with only having one ball bag worn, since the BO Staff are fairly johnny-on-the-spot in keeping us supplied with baseballs.

• Umpire Jackets: You will be issued a CDP-brand pullover jacket. It is navy, with red and white trim, and is dissimilar to other jackets that you'll see out-and-about. You may wear this jacket at any time, and most grab this jacket if it's going to rain. I bring my black therma-base jacket with me, just in case, but I have only used it once, on the bases, in over 150 games I've called there. It will be more wet / damp than cold.

Just a reminder, there will be no other protective gear provided, so make triple-certain you have your mask, CP, shinguards, personal protector, and plate shoes with you. You may be able to get by without plate shoes in practicality, but you likely won't get assigned to a plate game by your Crew Chief or the UD's if you lack them.

[labguy1971]

Thanks MadMax and umpirechick1.  Good info.